WLFY's CMJ Winners

CMJ was an exhausting but amazing mess of a week.  Be it at SXSW or any other large festival I always try to see as many unknown (to me) bands/artists as possible.  So I skipped out on the million Surfer Blood/Local Natives/The Drums shows in order to keep an eye out on the next great sound for you the reader.  WLFY threw an epic all day party at Pianos the day after CMJ and none of the bands who played that show will be included since they all “won” CMJ in my mind. (a full post about that show will be up soon).  So, without further ado, here are the WLFY winners of CMJ:

The Best Live Performance: GOBBLE GOBBLE

Without a doubt the best show I caught at CMJ was the Canadian electro band Gobble Gobble.  The music is smart, catchy, and extremely danceable. The live show has an unexplainable energy that culminated in me having one of the best times I’ve ever had at a show.  The only other live show I can compare it to is Dan Deacon, who has previously blown my mind a few times.  Toward the end, the entire crowd began jumping up and down in rhythm and a girl’s high heel came down on my big toe.  The pain radiated throughout my body.  I paused, but then the liquor consumed all day and the pure love that was radiating from the speakers took all the pain away and I continued to jump.  I’ve never been to a show where I smiled from start to finish…that is until CMJ, when I saw one of my new favorite bands:  GOBBLE GOBBLE.

Biggest Surprise: Highlife

The first live music I saw, fresh off the plane, was Highlife at a small bar called Bruar Falls.  I was there to see Sharon Van Etten (who had an incredible set), but was blown away by the beauty and unique approach to music that London’s Highlife supplied.  After the show I went and listened to his recorded material and was a little disappointed that the tracks have way to much production thrown in, where his live show is just all about his amazing voice and pure talent.  I caught Highlife again at #offline fest where his set was cut short due to time and he stood up without an instrument or mic and belted out a song.  It was one of the most moving moments of CMJ. 

Best Venue: Pianos

Pianos ended up being my headquarters for CMJ due to it’s superior sound, staff, food, and drink specials.  They just can’t be beat.  The sound guys were pushy at times, but only because they cared about getting the best sound possible…and I saw multiple repeat performances (Baths, Sunglasses) and they sounded much better at Pianos.  Five dollar hamburger/fries, 3 dollar beers for the majority of CMJ, it was heaven.  Pianos, I love you. 

Best Showcase: (tie)

IGIF Floating Fest (@ Pianos 10/21)

The key to any of these sprawling festivals is to find a showcase in one location that offers up amazing bands one after another.  IGIF gave us that in Young The Giant, Blackbird/Blackbird, Foxes In Fiction, Beach Fossils, Teen Daze, Baths, and many more.  The IGIF guys are top notch bloggers and have great taste in music…it showed at Floating Fest.

#Offline (@ Brooklyn Bowl 10/23)

A lot of people would say that #offline had the best show simply for flexing their muscles and pulling Kanye out of a hat last minute.  Seeing Kanye has nothing do with them having one of the best shows of CMJ.  First off the line up was amazing:  Highlife, Javelin, Cults, Ty Segall, Titus, Matthew Dear, and the Fool’s Gold party.  That’s one hell of a show no matter how you cut it.  The most impressive thing was how the show never felt like it was trying to rebel against CMJ, in fact it felt like a great compliment to the amazing bands CMJ brought to new York for that week.  As stated above, it’s nice to camp out in one place for a series of hours…which #offline could provide.  Three negatives would be the comically awful Diamond Rings performance, the sound of bowling taking me out of the musical moment at times, and how Jersey Shore the crowd became after the Kanye news broke.  All that aside, we know how hard WLFY is on Pitchfork, but #offline, specifically during the day was definitely one of my favorite times at CMJ. 

Ten Other Amazing CMJ Performances

Young The Giant (Pianos)

Baths (Pianos)

Sharon Van Etten (Bruar Falls)

Dent May (Cake Shop)

The Pomegranates (Pianos)

Cults (Brooklyn Bowl)

Royal Bangs (Santos Party House)

Javelin (Brooklyn Bowl)

Foxes In Fiction (Pianos)

Sunglasses (The Delancy)

Best Coast - "Boyfriend" (Music Video)

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Okay, so two apologies here. First, I know that this is a bit of an old video. Second, I know that we've been pretty hard on Best Coast, and really this has less to do with her than it does with director Taylor Cohen's genius directing. There's something so simple and blissful about this video. It says something that this video makes this song waaaay more palatable and far more interesting than just the song alone. And when the leaves start to fall, sometimes it's nice to have a little reminder of summer around.

Modern Rivals - "To My Friends" (Acoustic Live Video)

ZACH THAT:

Finally got back from CMJ last night and trying to get over a bad cold.  Tomorrow we should have our CMJ recap up and Friday a complete review of our day after CMJ show at Pianos.  To tied you over I stumbled across this beautiful video from Modern Rivals who has a glorious set at our showcase.  Enjoy:

Kickstart Marissa Nadler's New Album

When we last saw Marissa Nadler, she was offering up covers on her Etsy site. Now, WLFY fave is asking for donations on the pretty fucking awesome site Kickstarter. Here's the vid:

Here's how you can get involved.

Elliott Smith Died 7 Years Ago (Yesterday)

What's Up with Background Music?

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Has anyone else had the bizarre experience of going into your local chain store and hearing one of your favorite bands being piped in for retail ambiance? Over the past couple months, I've heard The xx at Wegman's (a grocery store), Alela Diane and Andrew Bird at numerous locations like a Pilot Gas Station and CVS...

Do you work in retail? Is there some sort of indie music channel that Muzak is putting out these days? Seriously, what is going on?

If You Needed a Reminder

Over at I am Fuel, You are Friends they've got an astonishing video of the end of The National's set in Denver last night. If you needed a reminder or reason to keep on believing in the power of music, this is it:

Cheyenne Marie Mize (Daytrotter Session)

LISTEN HERE

A record that Louisville resident Cheyenne Marie Mize put out last year features her and the Bonnie Prince, Will Oldham dueting on six songs, none of which are younger than 95 years old. The oldest was written in 1864, a song entitled, "Beautiful Dreamer." All of the selections that the two chose for this vinyl EP, which went under the name of "Among The Gold," could be compared to being sockless and shoeless, with kiss residue all over your cheeks, lips and mouth and being there with a heartbreaking and unobstructed view of a sunset that one could die peacefully after seeing. The wind is next to nothing and there's either a scent of spring growth or a fall harvest floating in from the shuffling fields out there, contained between the fence posts. There's pumpkin and apple twisting with the aroma and there's 100 different versions of smoke there as well, dancing as it were, staggering up into the black and the blue. For being as ancient and dusty as they were, the songs on "Among The Gold," do not seem like unlikely candidates to be Mize's own handiwork, all these many years later, the words and melodies of a pretty young woman seeking insight and stability in love. There's nothing dated about the way that people feel love. There's nothing then that seems out of touch now. The courting, the drunkenly happy core of the relationship, the falling apart and the frequently painful aftermath of all matters of the heart are never dated. It's been the same cycle for centuries and centuries and it will last as such for all of eternity. Mize appears to be most interested in the way that things like "the sweet cinder breeze and the whispering trees" - as Oldham sang on the album, at one point - than those pesky matters of boring day-today. It's as if we're given the opportunity to be taken into a fantasy land, where there really is love happening all around you, where there isn't just a theoretical soul mate for every person out there. There is a proven certainty that there is such a person for every other such a person and all it takes to find them is kind and patient time. You can get to that vaunted place where you're wiping away the remaining wetness from smooches and smiling it off. Mize sings early on in the "Among The Gold" album, "Daylight shall come, but in vane," suggesting there is a way for the night's love and passion to block the imposing brightness, the intruding clarity of the waking hours. There is a way to keep sweethearts and their proximity united even when the lights have been turned on. Mize sings with a tantalizing sweetness, a tone that allows you to stretch your head back to that last great and true love that you experienced - the best form of it that ever came your way - and feel as if it never left, as if those prayers for a changing circumstance had finally been answered and there never came a parting. It's as if Mize knows of the ways to speak of and to her heart and all others, singing anew of the many splendors of dreamy love. 

BUY THIS TRACK: Reptar "Houseboat Babies"

ZACH THAT:

A week ago we announced our BUY THIS TRACK project to help indie bands/artists put a little cash into their pocket for touring and what not.  We're excited to announce our first selection, Reptar.  They're a high energy band with a great ear for upbeat synth pop party tunes.  They're playing CMJ next week and could use some gas money as they make their way up to NYC from Georgia.  We hope you join our Facebook group and become part of our project to help musicians actually make a few bucks.  We'll be doing this project every two weeks, so to help you just have to donate $2 a month....a cup of coffee.

BUY THE TRACK

Live Video

Atomic Tom plays "Take Me Out" on iPhones

Check out this pretty amazing video of the band Atomic Tom playing "Take Me Out" on their iPhones after their gear was stolen.

Now, if only Dan Deacon had a green skull app...

The We Listen For You Day After CMJ Party Poster

ZACH THAT:

Created by WLFYer Pierce Gibson:

click to enlarge

El Guincho - "Novais," "Palitmos Park" & "Soca Del Eclipse" (Live on Tunnelvision)

HANK ALTOGETHER:

You might recall that we totally geeked over El Guincho's Carl Sagan meets flashing girls video for "Bombay." Well, after picking up Pop Negro, the Spanish party-creator's latest LP, the furor and dancing has just continued. So, we're proud to bring you 3 tracks from Pop Negro recorded live at Le Poisson Rouge and hosted via P4K. Check it out:

Dan Deacon's Canada Hell Tour Continues

ZACH THAT:

Canada is home to tons of WLFY favorites, but Dan Deacon is having a tough time up North.  Yesterday, we reported about his Green Skull being stolen and tonight Deacon wrote:

Dan Deacon Canada: what's up? Two slashed tires AND the skull stolen. Might miss Albany tomorrow.


With all these headaches, show the guy some support by buying some tracks/merch.  Probably could use the pick up/extra cash.

Darren Hanlon ("The Book Of Love" Magnetic Fields Cover)

ZACH THAT:

Last week at Louisville's Skull Alley, we were treated with an amazing performance from Darren Hanlon.  It was packed with humor, heartbreak, and just felt good to have a reminder why music is so special.  He closed the show by getting away from the microphone and covering The Magnetic Fields' "The Book Of Love"....a WLFY favorite.  Thanks to Joey from Backseat Sandbar for the video and telling us this was a show we couldn't miss.

Dan Deacon's Green Skull Stolen Again

ZACH THAT:

Some idiot stole Deacon's trademark Green Skull.  Just minutes ago Deacon wrote on facebook:

"Toronto: If you know who took the green skull please have them return it to 225 sterling road unit 23, toronto or email primarycolourspresents@gmail.com. no questions asked. I'd really like it back. It's been a part of my set for 6 years. If it doesn't get return I won't return to toronto. Hopefully it turns up."

REVIEW: Cheyenne Marie Mize - "Before Lately"

Cheyenne Marie Mize - "Before Lately"

HANK ALTOGETHER:

Meet the next great folk singer-songwriter: Cheyenne Marie Mize. Mize has created a name for herself in Louisville, KY as a member of Arnett Hollow and her release with Bonnie 'Prince' Billy the 10" Among the Gold which featured Mize and Oldham recreating post Civil War folk ballads. Before Lately is her solo debut and it'd a doozy -- 10 songs and almost 3/4 of an hour where Mize manages to pay homage to her musical antecedents and remodel them around her own sensational voice.

More often than not, you'll hear reviewers spread around adjectives to describe a woman's voice. Words like "ethereal" or "gossamer" pepper the review as if they actually mean something. God knows I've been guilty of it. And most of the time these words are placeholders -- they say that something's out of reach, unattainable. There's little that's above our heads in Before Lately. Mize has an uncanny nack for transferring the quotidien into the transcendental largely due to her comfort in contradiction. As if ripping a page out of her former musical collaborator Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's playbook, Mize often sounds cooly aloof while weaving melodic bliss. "Kind" features a staccato riff that blossoms into harmony upon harmony. Whereas, "Lull," the most musically adventurous track on the record, begins with a ponderous piano line and off-kilter banjo which never quite meet except in the melody of Mize's voice which seems to walk between the raindrops. What's virtuosic about the performance here is how Mize manages so many different styles in one sitting. There's a twang to "Rest" that sounds like Emmylou Harris at her best. "Path" harkens to fellow Louisvillian Tara Jane O'Neil's melodic and sonic sensibilities. And even more straightforward tunes like "Not" eclipse even the most accomplished balladeer with their nonchalant lilt.  Every note is well-crafted without seeming too precious. A feat in and of itself.

Perhaps what's so astonishing about this debut is how confident Mize sounds. At first glance moments may feel withdrawn, but all to often, we're looking for an explosion out of a record rather than reveling in intricate subtlety, which is often harder to get to but infinitely more rewarding. And what's simple is often beguiling. There doesn't feel like an inch of effort on this LP, Before Lately feels like a constant settling in, a shifting ever downward. As Mize intones over the opener "Best," "I tried my hardest / to be what you wanted / but now we both see / it was all for the best." If this record is testament to anything it's that it's impossible for Mize to be anything but what she is, which is for the best.

WLFY Day After CMJ Party

ZACH THAT:


This is an invitation to party with We Listen For You on Sunday Oct 24th, 2010.  Here are just a few of the key ingredients: dynamite, pole vaulting, laughing gas, choppers - can you see how incredible this is going to be? - hang gliding, come on! 


RSVP AT FACEBOOK

PIANOS (NYC) / OCT 24th, 2010 / 2pm - 1am / $10 to see 11 bands

INDIAN REBOUND

LISTEN: MAKE YOU MINE

CAVEMAN

MODERN RIVALS

HIP HATCHET

BELL



Bell - Magic Tape from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.


THE SEEDY SEEDS





SLOW ANIMAL







SOARS


LISTEN: FIGUREHEAD


RADICAL DADS



Radical Dads "Recklessness" Official Music Video from Shahin Izadi on Vimeo.


THE PASS



The Pass - "Treatment of the Sun" PMA Premiere from Pretty Much Amazing on Vimeo.


SUNGLASSES

A Promise From We Listen For You

ZACH THAT:

As co-founder of We Listen For You I want to make you (the reader) a promise.  I will never try to convince you that Salem is a band worth supporting. Other sites might support their lack of talent and or ambition to be anything other than assholes pulling a fast one on music journalist trying to find a gem in a pile of shit.

Example #1:

Example #2:

Maybe they're just a bad live band.  Well...from the actual album:

Example #3

This is the last you'll see Salem on our site, just wanted to make a promise worth keeping.  Before I sign off, remember what Salem raps in their lyrics: 

"If you could bring me back, I kill myself, ha, not myself, just my self, I don't know if you could tell...but I'm in hell."  

Deep.

REVIEW: Sharon Van Etten - "Epic"

Sharon Van Etten - "Epic"

ZACH THAT:

“Everyone says I’m a fool to believe in that…following blind, following blind…”

Themes in art work like an elementary school game of password.  The artist takes a general theme and applies it to their own life experiences, the depth of importance only known to them.  The listener then takes the finished piece of art and translates the theme into their own experiences regarding the subject matter.  It’s my basic contention that a great piece of art can do two things regarding theme: 1.) Pull out emotions from the listener based on their own experiences 2.) Add a new perspective for the listener, thus adding to their own personal perspective.

Sharon Van Etten has explored the very rich theme of being trapped in her first two albums, the debut “Because I Was In Love” and her current release “Epic”.  It’s a universal theme that anyone can relate to, be it trapped in daily routine, nostalgia, a pattern of thinking or behavior.  Most of Etten’s trapped theme analyzes the subject of love, but for a listener it can be easily translated to the most basic umbrella of all things dealing with the emotion of being trapped.  The opening track “A Crime” starts with the lyrics “To say the things I want to say to you would be a crime.  To admit I’m still in love with you after all this time.  I’d rather let you touch my arm until you die.  Seduce me with your charms until I’m drunk on them, go home and drink in bed and never let myself be in love like that again”  Etten is dealing with being trapped in love, a love that is in the past, a love that she is hiding from by trying to get over through escape (drinking).  She follows this with “Light a cigarette and think of you and walk away.”  While she is trying to escape, immediately she goes back to thinking about the lost love.  This exploration of being trapped is immediately about love, but even if the listener has never had such an experience, it can easily translate into any feeling of being trapped.  Take the feeling of being trapped in lost dreams.  We all set goals for ourselves and sometimes they are not realized.  We try to forget the failure and in doing so become even more trapped in what we could no attain.  Through this Etten accomplishes my first requirement in regards to theme and art.

Now for number two…adding a new perspective to theme.  We have to go all the way to the last track of the album, “Love More” to find the answer to the theme.  Etten, still dealing with the theme in the form of love proclaims over and over “But it made me love, it made me love, it made me love…more…it made me love, it made love, it made love…more”  There we have it, the new perspective.  While we may be trapped in our own problems, these problems of being trapped help us reach a higher power in dealing with them in the future.  If we lost love, the next time we might appreciate new love even more. If our dreams don’t materialize we might approach them with a greater drive in the future.  The new perspective of being trapped becomes a means for improvement rather than being stuck as originally presented.

Now to the music itself.  Etten’s debut record “Because I Was In Love” was your basic girl with a guitar record that transcended others with the same approach because of her vulnerability and openness to the listener.  It was a stripped down sound marked by poetic lyrics and soft melodies that drifted along with the emotions that spilled out song after song.  “Epic” is a perfect stepping-stone for Etten, as she fills in her sound with a backing band.  Where most would misstep on their sophomore album, Etten is conscious to keep to her guns and not let the backing instruments dominate the emotion that was present on her first record.  The driving force of “Epic” is still Etten’s powerful lyrics, voice, and moments of uneasy minimalism.  Often times the only rescue to her emotionally draining sparseness is a single tambourine hit or a doubling of her voice.  

Even with her addition of band, the most powerful track is “Dsharpg” which is just Etten’s voice and one instrument.  The track transcends music itself, her voice taking off and floating in the mental space of the listener.  Powerful sentences pop off the pages of books and are trapped in the mind forever. Beautiful cinematic images are burned in our eyes forever. Occasionally a song can drift out of the speaker/headphones and live forever in our ears.  Etten’s “DsharpG” is my favorite track of the year and has such an emotional power that after one listen I couldn’t shake it…it’s a part of me now.

With only seven tracks Etten has created a timeless piece of art in “Epic”.  Sit down with her music and be a brave listener…allow yourself to explore your own emotions and life experiences in relation to her music.  You will be rewarded with a new perspective on a theme that occupies mental space for all of us.  Simply put Sharon Van Etten’s “Epic” is one of the most human and important albums of 2010.  

Song Of The Day: Dirty Gold - "California Sunrise"

ZACH THAT:

Cee-Lo - "Fuck You" (Live on Later with Jools Holland)

Who can deny the power of the all-girl band? Not I. Not Jools. Not you.

Song of the year?

Watch it here.

Interview with Sharon Van Etten

Intimate, emotional, directly honest songs can be hard for people to swallow. Especially when it's solo and quiet. People that diss on folk music want to hang out at a show and talk or rock out or not "get deep." I'm obviously overgeneralizing now... but yes - I agree with you that there is a negative connotation with singer/songwriter and the folk genre... when its initial uprise was meant for folk, the common everyone.

Captain Obvious has a nice interview with Sharon Van Etten whose new album epic is out now. Stay tuned for the WLFY take.

Track Of The Day: Cheyenne Marie Mize "Over The Moon"

ZACH THAT:

Brand new track from Louisville's own Cheyenne Marie Mize.

The "BUY THIS TRACK" Project

ZACH THAT:

I've been a music blogger for three years now and I'm always trying to find ways to help bands make money. As many of you know, the music industry is a disaster and bands/artists work for months, spend money they don't have, and end up putting out an album to less than 100 cd/digital sales. Music is an art form and I would like to help people make some money off their passion.

There is a very simple way to make a huge difference. Every two weeks I will post a link to a track that will be a dollar to download. By joining this group I ask that you buy that specific track every two weeks...this is crucial. It seems small, but imagine if we have 100 group members participate...100 bucks...1,000...1,000 bucks...and so on.

I will do my best to select quality music and support smaller acts that need money to tour and support the creation of their art. As a large group we can change the lives of artists.

JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP

Mountain Man (Daytrotter Session)

ZACH THAT:

Yeah, so Hank and I are obsessed with Mountain Man...you got a problem with that?  Check out their sweet Daytrotter Session HERE.

Jonquil Set To Release New EP

ZACH THAT:

Jonquil has been my go to band when talking about music that's underrated.  Way back in 2007 they released "Lions" which was in my top five albums of that year.  Very excited they're returning with new material.  This is definitely a band you should put on the sound radar.  The EP "One Hundred Suns" comes out November 16th on Dovecote Records.

Mountain Man (Live Video On Site & Sound)

ZACH THAT: